Page 28 of Whiskey Reveals

Chapter 14

Melody neededto just bite the bullet and get this over with. Because the more she hid within herself, the worse it would be when the time came. Or at least that’s what she had learned after so many years of not being the best person. She hated lying and keeping secrets, and that meant she needed to tell her grandmother about the baby. Because it changed everything.

She’d come to town because her grandmother had said she needed her, even though Melody still wasn’t 100% sure that was the case. She’d also come to town to open up her own studio, and all of that might be derailed because of the baby growing inside of her.

She placed her hand on her stomach and let out a deep breath. It isn’t the baby’s fault, she thought. But the timing sucked.

Fox was telling his brothers tonight about the pregnancy, and now it was her turn to tell her grandmother. She had a feeling her grandma already knew something was off, but Melody figured there was no way she could guess this.

She did her best to shake off her nervousness and left her room to make her way through the house to where her grandmother sat by a small fire, reading a book.

Grandma Pearl had once been a showgirl, but she had been the classiest one in Melody’s mind. Now, her grandmother looked as if she belonged in Regency England, reading or cross-stitching and waiting for tea after ringing the bell for the butler. If that was how that all worked. The only real Regency era information she knew came from romances, and she usually paid more attention to the dukes than the tea.

“If you don’t come in and tell me what’s on your mind, I’m going to have to start making guesses myself, and we both know that could end up terribly. For all I know, you’re going to leave me to go join the circus and get tattooed from head to toe. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I might talk you out of it so you can stay in Whiskey.”

Melody grinned despite herself and took a seat across from her grandmother. “Have I said thank you recently? Thank you for taking me in. Thank you for offering to take me in many times before this even though I didn’t deserve it. Thank you for always sending flowers and coming to all of my recitals and performances at Juilliard. Thank you for believing in me when I said I was ready to open up a studio in a small town that I wasn’t part of. Thank you for making this place a home for me. Have I said all of that recently?”

Her grandmother smiled softly, a single tear tracing down her cheek. Melody hated to see it, so she got up quickly and used a tissue from the side table to wipe her grandmother’s face.

“Don’t cry.” Please don’t cry, because you might start crying again soon when I tell you that I’m pregnant and unwed. Not that her grandmother was very traditional, but one never knew in this type of situation.

“I’m going to cry if I want to. Because, yes, you said thank you recently. You always find ways to say thank you even if it’s not words. But your words just now were beautiful, and I love you so much, Melody. I’m so glad that you’re finally here. It’s like my home has been waiting for you. You fit right in. Now why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, because I know it wasn’t just to say thank you? Something’s wrong, baby. You can tell me. I promise I’ll be here for you no matter what.”

This time, it was Melody who let a few tears fall, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. She had a feeling there would be more soon.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to say the words.” She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Her grandmother blinked for a few moments before nodding. “Now your nausea and your little hospital visit that you did not tell me about make sense. Are you okay? Are you feeling okay?”

Melody sat there for a second, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. “How on earth did you find out that I went to the hospital? Isn’t there some patient confidentiality thing?”

Her grandmother rolled her eyes as if she were Melody’s age or younger. The movement was just so much like her own that Melody couldn’t help the small smile that played on her face, even though her nerves were worse than ever.

“Your doctor didn’t tell me, if that is what you’re worried about. A friend was there picking up a prescription and happened to see you. Remember, granddaughter of mine, I have ears and eyes everywhere. I see and know all. That is the mysteriousness of Ms. Pearl.”

She waved her arms around her face as if she were a fifties starlet, and it sent them both into a fit of soft laughter. Then her grandmother stood up and went to sit by Melody on the loveseat.

“You’re pregnant. Going to have a baby. I am going to be a great-grandmother. Possibly the most gorgeous great-grandmother out there, but that is neither here nor there. Really, how are you feeling?”

“Like I’m going to throw up, but I don’t know if that’s because of the morning sickness since it doesn’t actually happen only in the mornings, or the fact that everything is happening all at once. I’m really overwhelmed.”

“Well, that makes sense. It wouldn’t be a pregnancy if you didn’t feel like you had to throw up every five minutes. And since you just found out, I assume that it hasn’t really hit yet, and you have more questions than answers, and even more questions that you don’t even know you should be asking yet. What does Fox have to say about it?”

Melody froze. “Fox?”

“Yes, Fox.” Her grandmother patted her hand. “You know, the father of your child. There’s only one man in this town that I’ve seen you go doe-eyed over. And I do not need to know all the details, though you can tell me. I have probably seen and done more than you could ever dream of, but that is for the next editorial.” She winked, and Melody laughed again. “But, yes, Fox. I saw the way you two looked at each other. And that look had nothing to do with first meetings and simple crushes. And the timing does make sense. So, what does Fox have to say?”

Grandma Pearl really did see all and know all. Melody should have known she wouldn’t be able to hide her feelings, whatever they were, for Fox from her grandmother for long. But it turned out she hadn’t hidden them at all.

“He’s supportive. I really don’t know more, other than the fact that he rambled like I did and said he’s going to be here for the baby and me no matter what. We haven’t actually had a chance to talk about all the details of what that means because I don’t know the details or anything. I never thought I’d be a mom. Not that I thought I wouldn’t be a mom. It was more like my life was just about dancing, and then when that changed, having a family didn’t really factor into the picture. And having a baby with a man that I only know somewhat and I’ve only been with once? I feel like I’m two steps behind and can’t catch up.”

Her grandmother wrapped her arm around Melody’s shoulders and held her close. “When I found out that I was pregnant with your mother, I thought my world had shattered. Yet it bloomed all at the same time. She was a surprise, but never a mistake. And I feel like maybe you feel the same way. So take a couple of days to let yourself roll in the chaos and then be the woman that I know you are and conquer everything. You’re going to make mistakes, I sure as hell did. But I know you’re going to be a wonderful mother because you’ve been through hell and back, and you know what it means to make the wrong choices. You’re going to make sure your children never have to make the choices you did. Those babies will never feel like they aren’t enough. So take time to breathe, then do what you need to do to become prepared, and then figure out what you want with the father of your child—the man who looks at you like he wants to eat you up. Because, baby, I did not miss that look, and I have a feeling you did not miss it either.”

Oddly relieved, Melody talked with her grandmother for a few moments more, and then it was time for Grandma Pearl to start her nightly routine and head to bed. It was still early yet, but her grandmother liked to read in bed with a facemask or two. Melody was trying to learn the same routine because she wanted skin like that when she was her grandmother’s age.

The doorbell rang, the gong startling her as always right as her grandmother walked upstairs. Melody waved her off so she wouldn’t have to come back down. She didn’t know who would be at the house at that time of night, but it might be Fox. The two of them did need to talk, and if he was as scattered as she was, it would make sense that he would show up without warning. But when she opened the door, it wasn’t Fox.

“Kenzie. Ainsley. Hi.”

---